"During WWII, Shanghai's small Jewish community of merchants and descendants of silk traders became a safe haven for almost 30,000 European Jews who were fleeing from the Nazis. During the war they were allowed to practice freely and even build their own autonomous government. Though most emigrated to the U.S. after the war ended, some Jews still live in Shanghai and practice an increasingly "Chinese" Judaism." Source: [January 2002]

Minzhu Village: 80 headstones from Jewish graves have been found. "... in Minzhu Village, about 25 kilometers west from central Shanghai [is] where all the foreign cemeteries from Shanghai were moved to in 1958 and later destroyed during the Cultural Revolution...Russian Jews that fled the pogroms established after they arrived in Shanghai a Chevra Kadisha (Sacred Burial Society) and maintained two cemeteries, among them, the one on Baikal Road. ...In 1940, the Juedische Gemeinde (Communal Association of Central European Jews) established their own cemetery on Columbia Road. Another cemetery at previously mentioned Point Road soon followed on account of the vast increase in deaths among Jewish refugees. Alone, there were between January 1940 and December 1945, a total of 1432 deaths among Central-European Jewish Refugees living in Shanghai." gravestone found. Source [January 2010]

Fah-Yuan Lu (Ex Columbia Road) Cemetery : Founded in 1941, this cemetery of 873 graves was also used for refugees during W.W.II. The allotted land for the new Jewish cemetery is big enough to hold the graves from all the four Jewish cemeteries. After all the graves are centralized in the new cemetery and re-erection of monuments completed, a hedge will be made around the boundaries of the new cemetery, while trees will be planted along the main roads and cross-paths. (Tess Johnston: phone 703-242-4576) From article by Mrs. Tess Johnson sent by source: Scott Seligman
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Hwange-Pe Lu (Ex Mohawk Road) Cemetery : This cemetery of 304 graves was founded 1862 and is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Shanghai. "Israeli Cemetery" and later as the "Mohawk Cemetery": was on Mohawk Road. The first of four Jewish cemeteries in Shanghai. When first opened in 1862, this location beyond the Western edge of the city later bordered the city's Racecourse. The racecourse tower and grandstands can still be seen across the street, the former now an art museum, the latter a host for offices and a museum for the new opera house. The four Shanghai Jewish cemeteries were moved to the western suburbs in the 1950s and later were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Two Kadoorie graves remain in Soong QinLing Park in Hongqiao in the small park on the corner of Huang Pi Bei Road and Nanjing Road. [January 2010] Source.

Ting-Hai-Kong Lu (Ex Point Road) Cemetery: This cemetery with 834 graves was founded in 1940 for the use of Central European refugees during W.W.II. Dismantling of the monuments and exhumation began Nov. 2, 1958 and was complete Nov. 12, 1958. Reburial in the new cemetery was completed from Nov. 15 to 20, 1958. The transfer of monuments took a little more than a month, from Dec. 7, 1958 to Jan. 11, 1959. Re-erection of monuments of all 834 graves was completed April 12, 1959.

Wei-ming Lu (Ex Baikal Road) Cemetery: Founded in 1917, this was the biggest Jewish cemetery in Shanghai, consisting of 1,692 graves. The dismantling of monuments and exhumation of remains started Sept. 26, 1958 and was completed Nov. 10, 1958. The remains were taken to the new site and re-interment was completed on Dec. 3, 1958. In view of the colossal size of most of the monuments, the removal of the stones to the new cemetery took several months. By the end of June 1959, about 500 monuments were re-erected.